What are drugs?

Drugs are chemical substances. Drugs that are taken recreationally are known as psychoactive drugs - they act on the brain to alter the way we think, feel or act. Psychoactive drugs include tobacco, alcohol, cannabis (gunja, weed, dope), amphetamines (speed, ice), ecstasy (E, eccy, Adam, XTC), cocaine (freebase, crack), opioids (such as heroin, morphine and methadone), and drugs prescribed for medical purposes such as analgesics (pain killers) and benzodiazepines (relaxants).

What are illicit drugs?

Illicit drugs are:

drugs that are illegal to have and to use such as cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine and opioids

drugs prescribed for medical purposes that are not used for the reasons they were prescribed such as analgesics and benzodiazepines

Cannabis

THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannibanol) is the main chemical ingredient in cannabis that affects the brain. THC is responsible for the positive short-term effects of cannabis that include:

feelings of wellbeing

an increased awareness of sight and sound

an altered awareness of time

The negative short-term effects include:

anxiety and panic

paranoia (extreme and unreasonable suspicion of other people and their motives)

short-term memory confusion

The harms associated with long-term use include:

a possible slight reduction in reasoning and thinking ability

the increased chance of cancer and harm to lung function

tolerance (needing to take more of the drug for the same effect)

withdrawal (experiencing distress when the drug is not available)

dependence (continuing to take the drug even though it is causing many problems for the individual)

Amphetamines

Amphetamines are synthetic substances, that is, they are a copy of the naturally occurring substances adrenaline and ephedrine that increase the activity of the brain and the nervous system. The short-term effects of amphetamines include:

a loss of appetite (having no desire to eat)

a reduced need for sleep

an increase in activity and confidence

Longer term effects include:

weight loss and eating disorders

restlessness

confusion

anxiety

paranoia (extreme and unreasonable suspicion of other people)

psychosis - a psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia or mania where an individual experiences delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (sensing somebody or something that is not really there), and a twisted sense of reality

depression (feeling down) and other mood disorders

Ecstasy

Ecstasy is the street name for MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). MDMA increases the level of two brain chemicals: serotonin (at least at first, but then serotonin is used up) and dopamine. Serotonin is involved in mood, sexual activity, sleep, pain sensitivity, and memory and body temperature. Dopamine is involved in movement, thinking, motivation and reward, and is believed to be the reason for the stimulant (pick-me-up) properties of MDMA.

The short-term positive effects of ecstasy use include:

feelings of wellbeing

increased energy

feeling close to others

The short-term negative effects are less common, but can include:

anxiety

paranoia (extreme and unreasonable suspicion of other people and their motives)

depression

The occurrence of negative physical effects is low but when they do occur the impact on health can be serious and even fatal. Effects include:

hyperthermia (overheating)

hyponatraemia (water intoxication)

Longer term effects include:

insomnia (inability to sleep)

headaches and depression

Cocaine

Cocaine comes from the Coca plant. It increases the activity in the brain and the nervous system. The short-term effects include:

sociability (the desire to seek out the company of others)

feelings of wellbeing and a decreased need for sleep

A toxic dose of cocaine (an excessive amount) can result in a number of effects including:

anxiety

aggression

confusion

convulsions (violent shaking of the body or limbs)

sweating and nausea (feeling sick)

Long term use can also result in:

anxiety

violence

insomnia

depression

loss of libido (sexual drive)

dependence

Opioids

The brain naturally produces opium-containing substances that affect the opioid receptor system of the brain (this system is also called the endorphin system) which is involved in pain relief, feelings of wellbeing, and energy levels. Opioids are a group of drugs containing opium sourced from the opium poppy (such as morphine and heroin) or produced artificially (such as methadone). These drugs act mainly on the opioid system of the brain.

Short-term effects of opioid use include:

feelings of wellbeing

pain relief and sedation

nausea

constipation (infrequent or difficult bowel movements)

reduced libido (sexual drive)

The harms arising from heroin use include:

the risk of overdose (1-2% of heroin users fatally overdose)

the risk of the spread of blood-borne viruses from injecting drug users who share needles (viruses which live in the blood such as Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS)

depression

anxiety

thoughts of suicide

tolerance

withdrawal

dependence

Analgesics

Pain killers containing codeine are a form of opioid and can be used to make home-bake heroin.

Benzodiazepines

Sedatives reduce brain activity and are used medically for the relief of anxiety. They are widely used illegally, with short-term effects ranging from: